Bastards
by Bella Lillis
Summary: Lady Briar Rose already felt enough pressure being next in line for the throne, but having her kingdom be on the brink of war? That was something else entirely. The people of her kingdom were looking to her and her parents for protection, for support. How were they supposed to ensure that with an enemy more powerful than them? AshxOFC. Not really focused around a particular season.
1. Chapter 1

_Been underestimated my entire life_

 _I know people gonna talk shit (da da da da), and darling, that's fine_  
 _But they won't break my spirit, I won't let 'em win_  
 _I'll just keep on living, keep on living, oh_  
 _The way I wanna live_

-Bastards; **from Kesha**

* * *

"The Sovereign have crossed our Eastern Borders, Your Highness. In a matter of weeks, they'll have made their way to the palace..."

"What of our men on the Borders? Or the Outer Rim? What reports do we have on them?"

"It would seem that, on the East, they've been taken. Our men on the Western and Southern Borders, along with some men in the Northern Outer Rim, are fighting off the Sovereign the best they can."

"Do we have enough soldiers to rescue the hostages?"

"I'm afraid not..."

 **-Bastards-**

Briar Rose pressed herself against the thick mahogany door, her ear placed firmly on the wood. She was trying her hardest to hear what was being said on the other side, though she had an idea on what was being discussed. Were the men and women on the other side debating over attack plans? What were her father's ideas on what should be done? Was there anything that _could_ be done? Those thoughts flitted through her head, making it hard to focus. If nothing could be done, then how would the kingdom hope to survive? She tried pressing herself further onto the door, but it didn't really matter in the end. Briar Rose just couldn't hear what they were discussing.

Letting out a huff of air, Briar Rose pulled away slightly, looking at the door in frustration. Her father and some of Cordelia's most trusted men and women had been locked away in her father's study for a better part of a month. Briar Rose could only assume they were talking about battle strategies, ways to protect Cordelia from the Sovereign. The young girl herself hadn't been told all the fine details — she actually hadn't been told _any_ details — so she was very antsy to know what was going on. Had the Sovereign broken through any of the Cordelian Borders? What about the Outer Rims? Were those still standing? For Briar Rose, she couldn't help _but_ think like that; she was Cordelia's princess, and she only wanted what was best for her kingdom. That was why she felt she had to know what went on between her people and the Sovereign.

"My Lady!" The booming voice caused Briar Rose to let out a surprised shriek, practically leaping in an attempt to turn around. When she did turn, she saw the glaring face of her guardian, Briana. The older woman's arms were crossed, a look of irritation on her face. Briana had been assigned to be Briar Rose's guardian not long after the girl's birth. It was a responsibility not to be taken lightly. In the royal family, guardians are assigned to the children of the Emperor and Empress to help take care of the child should the rulers be away on business. Even if the business required the Emperor and Empress to remain in Cordelia, the child's guardian was still responsible in taking care of them. Briana happened to be a very strict, very _overwhelming_ , one. Though Briar Rose couldn't blame the older woman for being that way; the princess did have a bad habit of wandering off at the most inconvenient times.

"Hey, Briana," Briar Rose stammered. "I, uh, was looking for you and..."

"You are _forbidden_ from being over here," the older woman snapped, storming over to where the young princess stood. "It was requested by your father I keep you away from his study."

"I _know_ , I just..." Before Briar Rose could finish, the door to her father's study opened.

"What's all the commotion out here?" Léon, Cordelia's Emperor, stood on the other side, though his tone was firm there was a hint of annoyance. For there to be annoyance in the Emperor's tone was not good, considering he was a solemn man; his light brown hair graying long the sides, as a result of both stress and age. Léon's sharp green eyes went between his daughter and Briana. "Well?" he said sharply. "I'm in the middle of a meeting."

"I apologize for the intrusion, Your Majesty," Briana said, her tone suddenly civil, gentle. "I was looking for the Lady when I found her here."

Léon's gaze went to Briar Rose, who was doing everything in her power not to look at him. "Rose, you know you're not supposed to be here," he said. "This kind of matter isn't something you should be concerning yourself with."

"Why _shouldn't_ I be concerned?" Briar Rose snapped. "I'm the princess! I _live_ here. If the Sovereign's attacking, why shouldn't I be helping...?"

"Because I can't afford anything happening to you." The Emperor's statement was firm and harsh. It caused his daughter's mouth to snap shut, and her body to tremble in unspoken anger. Léon knew that Briar Rose wanted to get involved, that she'd do anything if it meant protecting Cordelia, but he just couldn't let her. It did hurt him, having to keep her within the confines of the palace, but it was for her own benefit.

"What kind of Empress am I going to be if I can't even help my own people?" Briar Rose hissed, glaring up at her father. "If I don't even know how to handle disasters? Why don't you discuss _that_ with your people?"

 **-Bastards-**

Briana had led Briar Rose back to her room with little discussion of what had just happened. It was both relieving and frustrating. For the young girl, especially in moments of frustration or anger, all she wanted was someone to talk to. Briana wasn't the best choice, considering her otherwise strict demeanor. It's not to say the princess couldn't talk to her guardian about certain things, it was just deciding when the right time was to bring it up. Briana was usually a last resort if there were no other options of people to talk to. But as Briar Rose followed behind her guardian, she couldn't help but wonder — what was going to happen to the kingdom? Was Cordelia going to be destroyed? The Sovereign had expressed their desire to annihilate the kingdom; it was their biggest goal. _One_ of their biggest goals. The Sovereign was an organization of extremists, having defected from Cordelia. Being unhappy with how things were being run, the Sovereign swore they'd return one day to destroy the kingdom and rebuild a new society.

A shiver ran up Briar Rose's spine every time she thought about it. It had been years since anyone had heard from the Sovereign, so when they suddenly appeared months prior, it sent Cordelia into a panic. Briar Rose had, essentially, been put on house arrest until things were figured out. Léon locked himself in his study with his most trusted colleagues until a plan was figured out.

"My Lady," Briana's voice snapped Briar Rose out of her thoughts, "your room."

Looking at her closed bedroom door, the princess let out a sigh. Without saying a word to Briana, she opened the door and went inside. A small smile came across Briar Rose's face when she saw Kirlia inside. The Emotion Pokémon and the princess had a close relationship, a friendship that couldn't be broken. Briar Rose had been given Kirlia as a gift for a birthday, though at that time, Kirlia had been a Ralts. The princess and Ralts had spent plenty of time together, even having battled some of the wild Pokémon that came into the palace gardens. Eventually, Ralts evolved and the relationship between Pokémon and princess intensified.

Closing the door behind her, Briar Rose let out a huff. "I take it your mirages could only do so much," she said.

An apologetic smile came across Kirlia's face, her red eyes looking at the princess pitifully.

"It's fine," Briar Rose sighed. "You did your best. It's not like I could hear anything anyway. The door's too thick."

 _"(We'll figure something out),"_ the Emotion Pokémon responded.

"Have you had anymore visions?" The princess had a fair amount of knowledge when it came to her Pokémon companion. Briar Rose knew that the red horns on Kirlia's head amplify her psychokinetic abilities, that it also allowed her to distort dimensions and create mirages. The young girl also knew that her Pokémon had the ability to see into the future and feel others' emotions. When Kirlia shook her head, Briar Rose nodded. The Emotion Pokémon's visions were something the princess found fascinating, and when one occurred, the small Pokémon's first instinct would be to tell her companion. "I suppose that's good," Briar Rose sighed.

 _"(Let's hope so)."_

Yeah. Briar Rose could really hope so.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I've been having serious writer's block and it's been a bit difficult trying to think of something decent to write. If you've got any constructive criticism, I'd love to hear it. I'd absolutely love to know what I could do to improve this story.**

 **Nothing in the PKM franchise belongs to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in.**

 **Again, constructive criticism is welcome. If you've got ideas or suggestions on what could be done to improve the story, let me know. If you think that the story's fine the way it is, that's fine, too. Also, if you think I'm getting any of the canon characters wrong, don't hesitate to let me know. I'd hate to have to fix the story later on because I ended up getting characters wrong. And for anyone who's wondering if this story will be based around any particular season, it won't be. I want to say it'll be somewhere in the DIAMOND AND PEARL universe, but I'm not entirely sure. All I can say is that Brock is still around, so...**

 **I digress.**

 **Have a wonderful day, my friends.**

 **Bella Lillis**


	2. Chapter 2

_What do you know? this house is falling apart_  
 _What can I say? this house is falling apart_  
 _We got no money, but we got heart_  
 _We're gonna rattle this ghost town_  
 _This house is falling apart_

-Anna Sun; **from Walk the Moon**

* * *

Decades ago, the Sovereign came to be. The founding members were once citizens of Cordelia, but defected due to finding their homeland unsatisfying. They were tired of the way things were being run, of how Emperor Alexandre was ruling the kingdom. Alexandre was the father of Léon, having ruled the kingdom with an iron fist for _years_ before his son came into power. The Sovereign's founding members, however, had been part of the poorer class, with only a select few coming from aristocratic backgrounds. They saw Cordelia as a failed state, and as such, deserved to be abolished. The founding members of the Sovereign all agreed that the royal family were the ones responsible for the kingdom's failure; that the family were allowing the poor to get poorer and the rich to become richer. It was all some kind of elaborate scheme, some unspoken _truth_ , that the royal family valued the wealthy over the poor and financially unstable. That was why the Sovereign wholeheartedly believed Cordelia needed to be abolished, to get rid of the corruption and selfishness of their former home.

So as the years went on, the Sovereign grew in numbers, recruiting people from all over Cordelia, even people from neighboring regions, as well. People, from all walks of life, coming together to make the Sovereign stronger. If they had Pokémon, they were handed over for the greater good. Pokémon ensured that the Sovereign had brute force in case things started to not go their way. After some time, the group started to settle in an abandoned colony not far from where Cordelia stood. They wanted to stay nearby, for the sake of acting out any plans they had against the kingdom. It was convenient, considering they wouldn't have to go far for any attacks they planned. But it was also _in_ convenient just because of the distance between the colony and Cordelia. Even though humans hadn't occupied the small town in however many years, didn't mean the occasional adventurer wouldn't sneak in from time to time. Maybe it was someone looking to see if the colony was haunted, or to find hidden treasure that'd been left behind. It was hard to say, but the Sovereign didn't take lightly to intruders. Anyone who trespassed onto their property was instantly attacked by one of the available Pokémon, essentially scaring the trespasser away. In no time at all, no one bothered coming by the colony anymore.

With their new home, the Sovereign were able to put together a plan to abolish Cordelia once and for all. Without the kingdom, the Sovereign would be able to build something bigger, something _better_. A region where there were no royalties, no hierarchy. Something the founders wanted since the very beginning. And they knew just how to obtain that goal.

"The royal family has a necklace containing three sacred jewels." A woman named Jamie, one of the founders, looked at her followers with a solemn expression. "These jewels hold the power to control specific Legendary Pokémon. If we can get ahold of this necklace, not only would we have control over Cordelia, but the whole _world_ as well."

The murmurs in the crowd quickly arose, men and women looking at each other in wonder and skepticism.

"If you're wondering _how_ we're supposed to get the necklace," another founder, a man named Tobias, said, "it should be simple. We'll send one of you undercover to retrieve it."

"How are we going to sneak into the royal palace?" a man shouted. "The place is riddled with guards!"

Jamie's hand waved to a Tyranitar standing next to her. The Armor Pokémon had been given to her by a former Trainer, who believed, without a doubt, what the Sovereign were doing would be for the betterment of the world. The Tyranitar, with a moment's hesitation, let out a Flamethrower, aimed just feet above the peoples' heads. Shouts and screams of panic filled the air momentarily until the Pokémon's attack stopped.

"Let that be a lesson to you all," Jamie exclaimed, "next time you think to speak out against us. We know the inner workings of Cordelia, better than most of you could ever _dream_ of."

"Don't _ever_ doubt our judgment," Tobias added. "Are we understood?"

A murmur of agreement swept across the crowd.

"Get back to your positions!" Jamie barked. When the crowd started to thin out, the older woman's eyes met with her companion's. "They're an ungrateful bunch, aren't they?"

"You'd think after all we've done for them, they'd show us more respect." Tobias let out a disgusted huff. "But they'll learn soon enough. It's all a matter of time."

Jamie nodded. "Tyranitar, make sure they're all doing what they're supposed to," she said, nodding to the Armor Pokémon. When the large green Pokémon stormed off, the older woman looked over at Tobias. "Why don't you send out Dusknoir? I believe it'll be of assistance in keeping the people in line."

"Of course." Without a second thought, the older man took out an Ultra Ball. "We can always count on Dusknoir to get the job done."

 **-Bastards-**

Briar Rose had stayed in her room for the remainder of the day, with Kirlia being her only form of interaction. There'd be an occasional servant who'd come by to give her food or to check in on her, but Briar Rose was kept to her personal quarters almost like a prisoner. Maybe she was being a little overdramatic, but that was how she felt. Her father, Léon, hadn't openly expressed keeping his daughter confined to her room, but Briar Rose knew that he'd prefer her stay there so she didn't get into anything else.

"I really can't wait until this to be over," the princess sighed, throwing herself onto her bed. Kirlia was twirling around in the center of Briar Rose's room, looking for a way to distract herself. "It's been going on for far too long, don't you think?"

 _"(I agree),"_ the Emotion Pokémon said. _"(The sooner this ends, the better off we'll be)."_

"What're you looking forward to once this ends?" The princess looked at her Pokémon companion lazily. "I think there'll be a big celebration."

 _"(I don't know)."_ Kirlia stopped what she was doing to think about it. _"(I'd like to go out and battle some of the garden Pokémon! It'd be refreshing)."_

"It has been a while since we've done that." Briar Rose let out a sigh. "It'd be cool to see you evolve into a Gardevoir."

 _"(It would, wouldn't it)?"_ A gleam appeared in Kirlia's eyes. The small Pokémon felt a surge of excitement come over her. To finally evolve into a Gardevoir seemed almost surreal, it was something Kirlia dreamt of for a long time. To reach her final evolution would mean she could get stronger, which meant she and Briar Rose could possibly travel further than the palace gardens.

"You're daydreaming again." Briar Rose giggled, looking at her friend happily.

With a huff, Kirlia crossed her arms, refusing to look Briar Rose's way. The princess simply chuckled before turning on her side, looking at her bedroom wall with a slight frown. There were so many things she wanted to do, but with the Sovereign's constant presence over Cordelia, it was almost impossible. Briar Rose wanted to explore more of the kingdom, to acquaint herself with her people. If she were to be Empress one day, she'd have to know everyone, right? Just like she'd have to know everything that went on in the kingdom. It'd be nice, to be up-to-date on everything that went on; but Léon didn't trust his daughter with any of that information. Léon believed his daughter should be protected from that, to have the childhood he didn't experience as a child. Alexandre, Briar Rose's grandfather, had been a very strict Emperor, not taking anything lightly. The people walked on eggshells when it came to Alexandre, never really knowing what he'd get upset about next. Because of his father, Léon never had the opportunity to be the kind of kid he _wanted_ to be. Though it didn't help he was also the prince at the time. Nevertheless, Léon had to grow up too fast, become the Emperor too early, and found himself in a place he wasn't entirely comfortable with. When Briar Rose had been born, the Emperor tried his best to be fair on her. He didn't want his daughter to think she had to grow up faster than necessary.

 _Why can't he just trust me?_ she thought miserably. _I'm his daughter. I'm the princess. It's my job to know what goes on in the kingdom, to know how to be the best princess and heir as possible._

Slowly sitting up, Briar Rose brushed some of her red hair out of her face. Maybe...just maybe...she'd have to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Hopefully you guys like it. If you see anything that could use improvement, don't hesitate to let me know, OK? Constructive criticism is always welcome!**

 **Nothing in this universe belongs to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, PM me or leave a review.**

 **Just a brief little thing that popped into my head, for those of you who've seen the anime Sword Art Online, I kinda imagined Briar Rose's hair looking similar to Asuna's. Something like that may not seem like a big deal for most people, but for me, I thought it was important enough to just mention. For anyone who's curious about the rest of Briar Rose's features, I'll be throwing them in in future chapters, so just you wait, OK? Awesome!**

 **See you guys on the flip side.**

 **Bella Lillis**


	3. Chapter 3

_"You are not safe. No matter how many people are around, or how clear the area looks, no matter what anyone says, no matter what you think, you are not safe. It only takes one second, one second and it's over. Never let your guard down, ever. I want you to promise me."_

-Rick Grimes; **from The Walking Dead (2014)**

* * *

Ever since Ash was very little, he knew he wanted to travel the world. He knew he wanted to have Pokémon by his side. That he wanted to achieve great things. In all honesty, anyone who knew Ash personally knew that he had very big dreams for himself. The young boy voiced those dreams on numerous occasions, making sure anyone who'd listen knew what his plans were. As time went on, those dreams narrowed themselves down, eventually becoming Ash's dream to become a Pokémon Master. He'd always had a fascination and admiration for Pokémon, so it seemed to solidify his determination to become the best Trainer out there. That also meant he had eagerly counted down the days until he'd receive his first partner. Obtaining Pikachu had been the best day of Ash's life, despite his tardiness to Professor Oak's lab. Then came all the friends who'd come into the young Trainer's life since the day he left Pallet Town. It seemed as though Ash's journey to becoming a Master was going well – he was meeting new people, capturing Pokémon and making them stronger, everything Ash believed made up a fantastical Trainer. He managed to battle strong opponents, even going so far as to challenge different region's Pokémon Leagues. Unfortunately, Ash never did win, but that didn't diminish his determination.

If there was one thing Ash Ketchum had, it was determination. Anyone who knew him personally would say so.

That was why, after hearing about the strength of the Trainers in Cordelia, he just _had_ to go. At the mere _mention_ of an area filled with strong opponents, Ash wouldn't be able to fight the urge to say no. The only thing was that the young Trainer wasn't very familiar with Cordelia, though he was happy his old friend, Brock, was with him. Brock seemed to figure out anything in the blink of an eye.

"So what's this place again?" Ash asked; his face was scrunched up in confusion. He'd had it explained to him once before, but the oddness of the region seemed to go right over his head.

"Cordelia's said to be an ancient kingdom," Brock stated. "It's said to have formed before Sinnoh or any other region for that matter, making it the oldest region on the planet."

Ash's eyes widened at that. "Seriously?" he exclaimed. "That's so _cool_."

"I'm surprised I've never head of it until now," Dawn said, nodding in agreement. "It's so close to Sinnoh, I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone bring it up."

"Who knows?" Brock said, shrugging. "Some areas choose to live quieter lives than others."

 **-Bastards-**

 _"(You want to do what)?"_ Kirlia exclaimed. Briar Rose had really taken the opportunity to fine tune her thought process, but she came to the conclusion to face off with the Sovereign on her own. If her father wouldn't allow her to help him, then she'd have to do something about it without him knowing. It seemed like a very logical solution in her mind, and she assumed Kirlia would think the same.

"I think we should take on the Sovereign ourselves," Briar Rose repeated. "Father won't let me help him with anything, and I can't just sit back and let everyone else do the dirty work. What do you think?"

The Emotion Pokémon's eyes were wide with disbelief. The very _idea_ sounded impossible, ridiculous, _idiotic_! Briar Rose's determination to know what was going on was admirable, but thinking she could take on a group as savage as the Sovereign was suicidal. Kirlia may hold a close bond with the princess, but she didn't hold a _death_ _wish_. Part of Kirlia hoped that Briar Rose was joking, but she could see the excitement and resolution in the princess' eyes, showing that she was serious. And once Briar Rose had her mind set on something, it was almost impossible to change it.

 _"(The Sovereign are too powerful, Rose),"_ Kirlia responded. _"(They'd capture us before we had a chance to react. Or worse. I don't think you really understand what we're up against)."_

Briar Rose's eyes lost their gleam, instantly replaced with anger and frustration. "I _do_ understand," she exclaimed. "They're _dangerous_. They're threatening my home – _our_ home."

 _"(We shouldn't be risking our lives on a plan that might not work)."_ A stern look came across the Emotion Pokémon's face. She had helped Briar Rose with a lot of her ideas, but attempting to face off the Sovereign singlehandedly was too much. It wasn't well thought out, it was too dangerous. Kirlia understood the need to keep one's home safe from intruders, but jumping headfirst into something without proper knowledge wouldn't solve it. _"(Your father kept you here to keep you safe),"_ Kirlia went on. _"(Don't go throwing your life away because you want to be a hero)."_

There was a long moment of silence. Briar Rose's eyes were wide as she regarded Kirlia. Never before had the Emotion Pokémon said anything like that, and the princess wasn't sure if she should be impressed or hurt. The young girl was absolutely sure that the plan seemed possible, maybe a bit shaky here and there, but doable at least. Briar Rose wanted Cordelia to be save, she wanted the Sovereign to be held accountable for their actions. Who _wouldn't_ want something like that? And seeing how Kirlia was the princess' closest friend, Briar Rose hoped her friend would see it from her perspective. That obviously wasn't the case.

 **-Bastards-**

"And you're sure this necklace will be able to give us full control?" Once the meeting had been concluded, the Sovereign leaders decided to regroup and discuss plans. They needed to figure out a way to send one of their own into Cordelia to steal the necklace. Once they had it, their recreation plan could finally take root. They'd not only be able to rebuild a region in their own image, but they'd have the power over three Legendary Pokémon. The Sovereign may as well have power over the whole _world_.

"I'm positive," Jamie responded, glancing over at Tobias. "This necklace was forged out of special crystals. Those crystals were able to bend the Legendary Pokémon to the user's will."

"How do you suppose we'll get our hands on it?" Another of the Sovereign founders, a woman named Marguerite, looked between the two for a moment. "None of the others seemed willing to go."

"Don't worry," Tobias scoffed, "we'll get someone to infiltrate. We've been studying Cordelia's guard patterns for _years_ ; we'll get in."

Marguerite let out an unsatisfied huff. "The armies on the Outer Rims aren't letting up, Tobias," she exclaimed. "We won't be able to _sneak_ anyone by, nor will we be able to _fly_ anyone over."

"We have Psychic Pokémon," a man named Theodore said. "I'm sure some of them know Hypnosis. We should consider that a possible option."

The four argued for a moment longer before they heard the door to their meeting room open. On the other side stood a figure they knew all too well, one they feared the most. She had been the one to come up with the Sovereign's ideology, to form the very foundation the group stood on. Her power was definite, and no one dared go against her. Even her Pokémon were feared, having been trained to the highest possible levels they could reach.

"How foolish," she said. "You're all arguing over this?"

"Ma'am, we didn't think you'd be here," Marguerite exclaimed, bowing her head slightly. "We're sorry for any disturbances we made."

With a simple hum, the woman crossed her arms over her chest. Her Alakazam and Weavile stood beside her, looking around the room carefully. Those were her main Pokémon, the strongest of all the ones she possessed. She'd trained the Sharp Claw Pokémon and the Psi Pokémon since they were in their pre-evolutionary forms. "There's always some kind of disturbance, isn't there?" she murmured. "You won't get much cooperation from them. They're afraid of what Léon will do to them. But I can assure you one thing, if we're going to infiltrate them, you'll have to send someone over they'll least expect."

"W-We know that, ma'am," Tobias stammered. "We're trying to consider our options."

"Why not send Francis? We'll loan him his old Pokémon, and he should be fine." There was a long pause. "What? Is that not a good decision?"

"I-It is!" Jamie squeaked. "It's just Francis is a bit...incapable, physically."

"Incapable?"

"He's got that injury, ma'am," Theodore said. "He just healed from his time fighting the Outer Rim. He was hit with a nasty Flamethrower."

There was another long pause. "Send Quinn, then," she said. "Give her Froslass and Nuzleaf. That should suit her just fine."

"Of...course, ma'am," Marguerite said, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "If you think that's best."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Not my best chapter, but I hope you guys find something enjoyable in it. If you find this chapter could use some improvements, let me know in the reviews and I'll get to it ASAP. Constructive criticism is very important to me, so any ideas you might have are always welcome.**

 **Nothing in the PKM universe belong to me. All I own are my OCs + the subplots I put in. If you've got ideas for OCs/subplots, PM me or leave a review.**

 **See you guys on the flip side.**

 **Bella Lillis**


End file.
